The Cost of Freedom: A Veterans Day Salute

I’m an Air Force Veteran and the son of two veterans, and it gives me great privilege to witness the outpouring of love, respect and support our country has has shown for those who have served.

As a young airman, I was taught esprit de corps which is a spirit of pride, fellowship and loyalty that transcends race, color, class and political affiliation for the common good and service of all men and women of our great nation.

Regardless of how you may feel about our current political climate, and despite our nations many flaws, our founding principles allow us freedoms not afforded to people in many other parts of the world.
Here are but a few of those freedoms we enjoy and should be grateful for due to the sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform.

We are free to vote

We are free to speak our minds openly

We are free to disagree with opposing view points

We are free to worship as we choose

We are free to peacefully protest things we don’t like

We are free to work and earn a living, even start a business

Freedom isn’t free and it came with a price.
The men and women who fought and died did not want to fight, suffer or experience the fear of battle….yet they served in spite of their fear.
Every day I breathe, I am grateful to those who have sacrificed their lives for the many freedoms we enjoy.
Thank you veterans — YOU made my freedom possible.
Kylon J. Trower